The last road trip Russ and I took my parents on was to Yellowstone National Park. We sandwiched the park visit between attending our daughter's college commencement in Missoula, and a shorter "drive through" visit to Teton National Park. We then dropped my parents at Jackson airport, a final flight for the two of them … Continue reading Oh Yellowstone
Memories
Digging for roots
I try not to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of books I want to read. It doesn't help that I continue to regularly pick up new reading material from my local library and favorite bookstores. I have piles of books ahead of the newer ones I select, silently apologizing to those I relegate to … Continue reading Digging for roots
The Us in This Is Us
It is rare these days for me to be wrapped up in a television show. Like a lot of kids of the 1960s, I grew up with Gilligan's Island, and as a pre-teen, Friday nights meant a round of The Brady Bunch, Partridge Family and Room 222. Cartoons were not my favorite although I remember … Continue reading The Us in This Is Us
Into the deep blue yonder of past and present
You know that feeling when you return to a place that hugs your heart? For some of us it might be the return to a favorite childhood place, maybe the home you grew up in, a special spot you traveled to, or where you first fell in love. These days when I pass through the … Continue reading Into the deep blue yonder of past and present
Time traveling to the secrets of our past: Part 2
It's time to get back to those other stories. You may have read Time traveling to the secrets of our past: Part 1? which was mostly a story about furniture; not a secret. Might it be that some stories are less secretive but merely details that, for one reason or another, were not talked about? … Continue reading Time traveling to the secrets of our past: Part 2
A tribute to my oldest friends
Yesterday my friend Liz reminded me about John Prine's song Hello in There. She had responded to a story I'd shared on social media about an interaction with a stranger I met on a walk. I am reminded how much I miss my elderly friends who have died. Like Mom. While some might say I … Continue reading A tribute to my oldest friends
Old times at Ocean Park and other stories
Russ and I happened to be here at Illahee in Ocean Park when the Coast Weekend printed a story about me and my writing. I had been interviewed by Patrick Webb several weeks before, but had no idea when it would be featured. We continued our routine like at home, only here Russ worked to … Continue reading Old times at Ocean Park and other stories
About that marble table (or what about all that stuff?)
For most of the past thirty years, Russ and I have shared an inside joke about cleaning out our garage. It started as a serious proposal, our pile of stuff was growing! With neither attic or basement, into the garage it went. As other accumulators know, this stockpile includes the not yet ready to give … Continue reading About that marble table (or what about all that stuff?)
Independence by bicycle: Now and Then
Did you ever watch the 1995 film Now and Then? A captivating movie with bold, adventurous female actors like Christina Ricci, Rosie O'Donnell, Demi Moore, and Rita Wilson. My daughters and I loved watching this flick. And although, like with most books and movies, I'm not sure how it ages to today but one scene … Continue reading Independence by bicycle: Now and Then
Sixty, American Pie and the dental drill
Today I turned sixty. Yes, sometimes my writing reads like a stream of consciousness. More recently, maybe less so. Today, I am certain, probably more so. Sixty. Sixty years ago, as Mom's nurse or doctor at Portland’s Good Samaritan Hospital told her “not yet,” she and Dad crossed Northwest 23rd Avenue to Quality Pie Shop. … Continue reading Sixty, American Pie and the dental drill
Dede's Books and blog 